Interlocking device for railroad-switches



Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

(No Model.) l

I-I. B. POTTER. INTBRLOGKING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES. No. 400,943.

..1 @le l. EN

Pmummegnmr. mman n UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

HOBERT B. POTTER, OF HILLBURN, NEV YORK.

INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,943,`dated April 9, 1889. Application tiled September 30, 1887. Serial No. 251,111. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HoBERr B. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hillburn, Rockland county, New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Interlocking Devices for Railroad Switches and Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, generally, to that class of railway-switch and signal-operating devices known as interlocking devicesthat is to. say, to that class of devices wherein the setting' of one switch or signal is made the means of unlocking and permitting the setting of another switch.

The object of the present invention is to improve this class of switch and signal operating devices, whereby the construction is simplified, the interlocking is rendered more efiicient, and the operating-levers moved with greater ease.

To this end the invention consists in the novel structure and in the combination of devices,now to be fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis an end elevation of a switchstand and levers provided with the improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, illustrating eight levers in the stand. Fig. 3 is a side view, looking from the left of Figs. 1 and 2, showing one-half of the stand and four levers. Fig. 4 is a similar view, partly in section, taken on the line :1: Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a mode of interlocking levers remote from the levers being operated. Fig. 6 is a diagram of two m ain tracks and a branch track, switches, and signals, illustrating the effect of the use of interlocking levers.

Referring to said drawings, it will be understood that A represents the frame of the switch-stand; B, the switch and signal levers, pivoted upon a transverse shaft, D, mounted in bearings provided in brackets extending from the frame A,.and connected by pipe or angular connecting rods 30 to their respective switches and signals. Means are provided by which each of the levers may be locked simultaneously, and by which each lever is independently locked or held in either of its positions. The former is eected by providing a bar, E, that is adapted to engage with contacting sides of the spheres may lie.

notches or projections formed on an enlargement, C, of the levers. This bar is provided with tongues 10, for engagement with the notches in the levels-which tongues are separated by recesses, which, when the bar is moved longitudinally to withdraw the tongues out of the notches, the levers will be released and allowed to be rocked or oscillated. At one end .the bar E is guided in a simple bracket, and at the opposite end is pivoted to the end of a lever, F, pivoted to the bracket l2, supporting the transverse shaft D, the other end of the lever being adapted to engage with a staple or eye, l1, projecting from said bracket l2, and be there secured by a padlock or other locking device, so as to secure the barE against displacement, and thus prevent any one changing the position of the levers B without first being able to release the bar E.

The independent locking means consists of a dog, G, pivoted to lugs projecting from the frame A of the stand, and provided with a toe, 13, for engagement with a notch, recess, or projection formed on each lever, which toe is kept in position in the notch or recess bya spring, 14. The opposite end of the lever is widened, so as to permit the foot of the operator to press upon it and release a lever B beforeit can be moved.

ln order to prevent the premature movement of thelever which sets theswitchsuch, for instance, as the lever B3 operating switch 3 (see diagram, Fig. G) before the signal denoting the setting of the switch has been adj usted by, for instance, lever B7, operating signal 7, (see said diagram,) or before lever B2 has been moved to operate switch 2, leading onto the branch-there is provided movable contact locking-pieces H, adapted to engage with one or more levers in such manner that it necessitates the movement of one or more other levers before the locking piece or pieces H will permit the movement of the first-mentioned lever or levers. These locking-pieces H each consist of a spherical head, 17, having a small arm or lever, 15, pivoted at 16 to suitable projections on the stand-frame A. To receive this spherical-headed locking-piece, the sides of the levers A are provided with similar-shaped recesses 18, in which the said One IOO form, and the one simplest and best adapted for the purpose of locking and unlocking the locking piece or pieces Il with and from the levers B, is in arranging the levers operating in connection with one another adjacent to each other on the transverse shaft. This arrangement permits the employment of the lever adjacent to that which it is desired should be only moved last and separated at such a 1o distance therefrom that its enlargement C, lacking a recess into which the locking-piece may project, will prevent the locking-piece from moving and keep it in locking contact with the lever.

i 5 the enlargement C of the lever BE (see Fig. Lt) is provided with a recess, 18, upon opposite faces, with each of which a locking-piece H, mounted on each side of the said lever, engages. The levers B7 and B2, mounted upon zo the shaft D, on opposite sides of the lever B3,

and in the position they occupy in Fig. ltheir normal position-the surface of each of their enlargements being in proximity with the locking-piece lying between the levers,will

z 5 counteract any tendency of the locking-pieces to move out of the recesses in the lever B3 and free it. In order therefore to allow said lever to be freed or unlocked when the proper signal or switch hasbeen set, the levers B2 and 3o BT are provided with recesses 19, which come into position to permit the movement of the locking-pieces out of the recesses 1S on the lever B3 when both of said levers B2 and B7 are rocked from their normal position to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. l. Thus if, as before explained, the levers B2 B3 are connected to operate the switches 2 3, respectively, and the lever BT the signal 7, and it is dcsired to switch a train traveling on the main 4o line X in the direction of the arrow onto the branch track Z, the signal on the main line X must be set by operating lever B7 rst to indicate to the engineer or other railroad employ that the switch adjacent thereto is set for the branch track Z. The lever B2 must also be moved to set the switch 2 in position to direct the train upon said branch track from the intermediate connecting-track, Z3, which movements of the levers and the con- 5o sequent setting of the proper signal and switch will permit the locking-pieces to move out of the recesses in the lever B3, and thus release the same, so that it may be moved to properly operate the switch 3 to guide the train from said main line ont-o said intermediate connecting-track, Z3, and thence to the branch track. As shown, in this operation of the levers the lever B2 will force the locking-piece H, lying in a recess 1S 6o upon its left side (see Fig. 4) out of engagement therewith and into engagement with a similar recess in the lever B', and be held therein until the reverse movement of said lever B2 takes place, and thus the lever B',

controlling the movement of switch l on the main line Y, is locked in place and cannot be moved, so that any danger of its being pre-- In the arrangement shown,`

maturely set, so as to direct another train upon the same branch track,is obviated.

The construction of the levers, their recesses, and the locking-pieces just described, furthermcr, provides for the effectual locking of the levers B2 BT in their adj usted position so long` as the lever B has been moved to operate the switch 3, as described. Upon the movement of said lever to the position indicated by dotted lines, Fig. l, the lockingpicces l-I coacting therewith, are forced out of engagement wit-h said lever into engagement with the recesses 19 of the levers B2 B7, and hold the latter levers locked until the lever B3 is moved back to its normal position to bring its recesses lS in position to permit the locking-pieces to be received thereby, when the levers B2 and B7 are also moved back again, locking the lever B3 and simultaneously unlocking lever B'. A similar arrangement of the locking-pieces ll, in connection with levers B", B5, B, and B8, will control the switches 4 5 (5 and signal S, respectively, and need not be particularly described.

If it is desired to interlock the switches 4 and (i, for instance, when the switches 3 and 2 or l, or either of them, is operated to switch a train onto the branch track, the movement, for instance, of the lever B3, setting switch 3, may be tran .mitted, through one of its locking-pieces H, to the locking-piece controlling the movement of the lever B6, operating switch (5. This may be accomplished by connecting said locking-pieces together by, for instance, a rod, 20, (see Fig. 5,) and thus when the lever B3 is rocked, thus vibrating its locking-piece connected to one end of the rod 20, it will have moved said rod to bear upon one of the locking-pieces locking lever B, so as to prevent it moving to release said lever so long as the lever B3 holds the switch 3 in position to guide a train from the main track onto the branch track. Other levers may obviously be similarly locked, so as to prevent t-he premature movement of a switch before another is properly adjusted.

As before remarked, the form of the locking-piece may be changed from that shown without departing from the essential features of this invention. For instance, instead of employing a spherical-shaped head, l7, it may be of arrowhead shape, as shown in the detached view at the side of Fig. 4.

The form of lever described provides the necessary arm of the lever for connection with the connecting-rod 30 integral with the enlargement in which the recesses for the locking-pieces are formed, considerably simplifying its construction, as well as rendering its operation effective. The interlocking devices are also simplified and rendered more compact by the construction of thelevers, providing the recesses upon the side of their fulcra opposite to that of their operating or long arm. The locking-pieces, moreover, ex-

ceptin the instance stated, are independent of each other, so that the movement of a le- TOO IIO

ver only afects the locking-piece contacting therewith.

What I claim is- 1. In interlocking switch and signal devices, the combination, with two switch'or signal operating levers, each having a recess located in different positions with respect to each other, of a pivoted locking-piece adapted t0 said recesses and to be locked and unlocked therefrom by the movement of one of the levers, substantially as described.

2. In interlocking switch and signal devices, the combination, with three adjacent levers, of a pivoted locking-piece mounted between each of the levers and engaging one of the levers and adapted to be locked thereto and unlocked by the movement of each of the other levers7 substantially as described.

3. In interlocking switch and signal devices, the combination, with three adjacent levers, of a pivoted locking-piece mounted between each of the levers, one locking-piece engaging with. onelever and the other locking-piece engaging with either of the other two levers, whereby the movement of one lever will lock the locking-piece to one lever and unlock the other locking-piece from the other lever, substantially as described.

4. In interlocking switch and signal devices, the combination, with two or more levers, each having one or more recesses therein, and their respective pivoted locking-pieces adapted to said recesses, of a rod, 20, connecting two locking-pieces together, whereby the movement of one locking-piece to free one lever will prevent the other locking-piece from moving to free the other lever, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the levers B3 and B7, each provided, respectively, with a recess, as 18 19, and a locking-piece adapted to engage with one recess in one lever in one position of the levers and with the other recess 'in the other lever when the position of the levers is changed, substantially as described. A

6. The combination of the levers B3 and B7,

each provided, respectively, with a spherical recess, as'18 19, and a locking-piece provided with a spherical-shaped head adapted to engage with the recesses in said levers, substanadapted to be vibrated to engage with the recesses in said levers, substantially as described'.

8. The combination, with two or more switch or signal operating levers having enlargements C, formed therewith, of a pivoted locking-piece contacting with the enlargement of one lever and adapted to be locked thereto and unlocked therefrom by the movement of another lever, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with switch or signal operating levers, as B B2, having enlargements formed therewith upon the side of their fulcra opposite the operating or long arm of the levers, each of said enlargements having recesses therein, of a pivoted locking-piece adapted to said recesses and to belocked therein and unlocked therefrom by the movement of one of the levers, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a plurality of interlocking switch or signal levers each having a notch and their respective locking-pieces adapted to recesses in the levers, of a movable bar provided with tongues for engagement with the notches of levers, whereby all the levers may be either simultaneously locked or unlocked independent of the lockingpieces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOBERT B. POTTER.

Witnesses:

PETER D. JOHNSON, H. SEYMOUR JOHNSON. 

